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Maggie’s preserving meet > 8months options?

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logic factory

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Oct 20, 2011
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i have seen a couple methods mentioned; canning, smoking, curing with salt, dehydration/jerky. i currently can make a great tasting jerky but i would like the responses that follow to be more about the remaining methods. i think the idea i like the most right now is canning. with canning, i can add other ingredients to get some more nutrients per serving.

can anyone sharing some recipes and procedures for someone new to these processes to follow? links work well too.

thank you.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

We vacuum seal and eat it year round. Never gone past a year but it is fresh at least that long.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

Deep freeze and diesel backup generator.. vacuum sealed is a great idea but I'm big into BBQ/grilling and I'm not sure how that would affect things.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
thank you for the response.
a full year is more than enough time for me. the only issue is it can start to take up freezer space and that is limited for me at this time. i may supplement the vacuum sealed stuff with cannned.

do you have any model vacuum sealer you prefer or can steer me away from?
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GlockandRoll</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
i can also enjoy a well bbq'd piece of meat but to be honest few people can deliver. most the time will not even bother to eat bbq and fabricate some excuse why i am not hungry. most people that have a bbq feel entitled to be a men and cook on the bbq at the expense of their impatience and taking most the moisture out of the meat. this often ruins good cuts of meat and pushes me into the red even when i do not eat or buy it.
sorry for the rant.
i also think even after bbqing there is to much moisture left for the meat to last a long time, no?
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

If you can, you will need a large pressure canner. Do Not try to 'water bath' can anything that's not high in acid or pickled. Research canning and follow the directions very carefully. Bacteria is dangerous stuff!

A few tips:
Get the proper stuff. At a minimum, you’ll need a canner, jars/rings/lids, a funnel for filling the jars and a way to remove hot jars from the canner.

After cooking at required temp, for required duration, let the pressure drop on its own. If you try to vent off the pressure, all the juices will flow out of the jar and into the canner.

Keep everything clean! Sterilize everything!
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i also think even after bbqing there is to much moisture left for the meat to last a long time, no?</div></div>

Yeap; it will spoil quickly.

Any meat that you want to dry needs to be lean. Fat goes rancid, even when dried.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

Just canned thirty quart jars of homemade tomato sauce. Got me thinking also about canning meat. I butcher all my deer and process without bone as it takes up too much freezer space. Began making sausage and that takes up freezer space too I googled canning venison and am now trying small pint batches of meat. There's a good recipe by cowgirl using the cold pack method. Very easy to do. Everyone really likes it. Tastes like pot roast. However, I want to try several small batches until I get a few recipes I like. Also want to try hot packing method and compare. I figure this would be an easy quick way to open, heat and eat or use in a pot for stew

http://cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/2010/12/canning-venison.html
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MtnCreek</div><div class="ubbcode-body">. </div></div>
understood. thank you for taking the time to give me a heads up. i will spend more time on this topic later today. this is the process i want to spend more time understanding in the more immediate future.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MtnCreek</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
understood. i also read the part concerning fat. thanks again for your advice.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

During the civil war my relatives used to smoke their meat then bury it 5 ft down in ashes. That way the soldiers would not find it.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

Can it lasts a long time and is a great way to do bear meat.

During the canning proccess the fat is melted and floats to the top and can be removed when te jar is opened removing the source of a lot of the bad flavor.

Done right it will last a couple years ad some seasoning and presto almost instant meal.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
thank you for your response.
i also remove as much no consumable material from deer in an effort to take up less freezer space.
tough to make those cuts of meat taste bad. i will start with that recipe and maybe tweak it a little. im not a picky eater so it may just be the one i rock for my life.
because it sounds like you are already experimenting please add any improvements you have found. any other advice you stumbled upon is welcomed too.

anyone want to suggest a pressure cooker and place to locate some quality mason jars on the cheap?
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: logic factory</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
thank you for the response.
a full year is more than enough time for me. the only issue is it can start to take up freezer space and that is limited for me at this time. i may supplement the vacuum sealed stuff with cannned.

do you have any model vacuum sealer you prefer or can steer me away from? </div></div>

Food saver units are not bad but not good for a lot of volume. They have to cool off for a few minutes after doing about 7-8 bags in a row. I used to run 2 at a time when running through a bunch of grouper or deer meat. Their bags are very good. If on a budget I would go that route. If not get a Cabelas commercial vacuum sealer. They are pretty stout and I have run about 6 deer and a couple hundred pounds of fish through it a year for several years with no issues.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

I've got a buddy of mine down in Senoya, GA that cans deer meat in jars. Works pretty well from what i've seen. Never had the nerve to try it myself.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: logic factory</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
thank you for the response.
a full year is more than enough time for me. the only issue is it can start to take up freezer space and that is limited for me at this time. i may supplement the vacuum sealed stuff with cannned.

do you have any model vacuum sealer you prefer or can steer me away from? </div></div>

Food saver units are not bad but not good for a lot of volume. They have to cool off for a few minutes after doing about 7-8 bags in a row. I used to run 2 at a time when running through a bunch of grouper or deer meat. Their bags are very good. If on a budget I would go that route. If not get a Cabelas commercial vacuum sealer. They are pretty stout and I have run about 6 deer and a couple hundred pounds of fish through it a year for several years with no issues. </div></div>

for what it's worth, i have one of the inexpensive ones from the black&decker store at the outlet mall up north of atlanta.
It pulls a great vaccume & seals the bags like a champ.
I do, however buy the more expensive food saver bags from Costco. But they do come as 4 big rolls per box.
One thing that it does do is prevent freezer burn on meat.
One great use is for preserving dried herbs. buy in bulk & vaccume seal the rest.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2074179

canning is the way to go IMO. YOu don't have to worry about the freezer dying or the electricity croaking on you. I lost a couple deer to a 4 day power outage a few years ago and that is what really started me canning some of the meat. canning leaves you very limited cooking options, but i've never grown tired of canned deer marsala or mixing a couple cans of mushroom soup with the canned meat.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

You can get most stuff from Wal-Mart, jars, Equip Kit (funnel tongs magnet), extra lids, Ball canning book, stuff for jellies, pickles etc. I've also gotten jars and stuff at K-Mart or the Farm Store. Try to stay with the same size mouth on your jars, quart, pint or half-pint. They have regular and wide mouth. Amazon has a lot of good pressure cookers. I got a Presto 22 qt Pressure cooker/canner for $80. Can do 7 quarts at once. Good luck
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
ill run some numbers and see if i can justify the added cost of a better more industrial type unit.
i plan on doing both vacuum sealing and canning; maybe with more of an emphasis on canning.
thank you for your feedback.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 500grains</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
good to know.
i do not think i am going to take those drastic measures yet but maybe one day ill think back to the information you shared and start digging my own hole.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: guntard007</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
thank you for the article. between this source and what others have said i am feeling confident i can do this safely with little risk of food poisoning.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
and this is why i am happy i asked the question. thank you for both sources i looked over and familiarized myself with the layout on the freashpreserving site and can began to appreciate the resource that it is. i also now know i can find just about anything i want to know on the usda website although i did not spend much time reading it tonight.
thanks again.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hrsuhd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
thank you for providing a reasonable timeline for safely eating a canned meat provided it is done correctly. i do not see this stuff lasting more than a year as it will be my primary source of protein in my life. than come winter time i will replenish my supply. if i can count on most the fat rising to surface like it does for you and the bear meat it will save me a lot of time when i butcher. i spend a lot of time removing the fat and silver liner stuff(membrane type stuff that houses most muscle and separates from other muscles). i am also going to finally buy an electric grinder to cut the time down too. if they are sharp enough i would like to leave a lot of the liner on and just make mostly ground venison anyway. i enjoy eating it regardless of what form it is in. i would rather save lots of time considering it all taste fine to me.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: steelman303</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
i suspect we are both missing out but this will change for me soon enough.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: steelman303</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
another option i will consider after i chase done more reviews of these black and decker units. if i can get 6+ months it will be great but it is looking more and more like i am going to can the majority of the meat i get this winter.
thank you for sharing your experience with the vacuum sealing.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JasonB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
thank you for the comprehensive post you made chronicling your process. i started to read and soon realized this was a great source with images to boot i can reference when the time comes to finally get this ball rolling.
i too have thought about this a lot and like i have already conceded i know i will have no issues eating canned meat i process. if there came i day i wasted any substantial meat from an animal i killed it would take me some time to get over it. this canning will all but eliminate that possibility.
thanks again for taking the time to not only respond to my thread but sharing the thread you created a couple years back; i likely would have never seen it otherwise.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
between amazon and a local large retail chain im sure i can find respectable prices on the equipment i purchase. i am pretty sure i am going to buy all 1qt jars at this time. do you sometimes wish you had a larger jar? but then id imagine you may need a much larger pressure cooker or it significantly reduces the efficiency by the lack of meat you are able to process at once. yes, 1qt sounds like great compromise. 7 cans at once sounds good to me right now; seems like about 90 minute session in the cooker based on the quick reading i have done today.
i had to google, "funnel tongs magnet" but i now know i need some extra stuff too.
thank you again for contributing to this quest for canning knowledge.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

before you start canning, just like reloading (both hobbies can KILL YOU), go get The Ball Blue Book of Canning. (NOT the Blue Ball Book of Caning...)

most of the stuff from the meat section has been condensed here (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1983-09-01/Canning-Meat.aspx ) but the book is a must read for any would be canner.

BTW, Mother Earth News is a FANTASTIC publication. a buddy of mine keeps a stack in the crapper...I've read a few of them and am begging santa to send me a subscription this year.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

Best bet may be to find an older family member or family friend that could help you. Also, don't get hung up on gear; I learned to can from my family and they didn't can because they had plenty of money. As far as supplies, around here the farm supply’s are the best place to pick up odd and ins.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: logic factory</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: steelman303</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.</div></div>
another option i will consider after i chase done more reviews of these black and decker units. if i can get 6+ months it will be great but it is looking more and more like i am going to can the majority of the meat i get this winter.
thank you for sharing your experience with the vacuum sealing. </div></div>

I've had mine for 7 years without a hiccup.
I do wish there was an easier way to create bags from rolls.
I have a 1x4 with a square edge 1/2x1/2 on one side that i use to help cut the rolls.
keeps me from cutting the countertop.
cut a bunch of bags, spend 30 min sealing one end on the machine.
pain in the ass, but not so much of a pain that I'm going to go spend $$ on a high end unit that self seals rolls.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

One thing that works well is some canned tomato relish.
could be deemed a salsa ....
diced tomatos (2/3) diced onions (1/3) bundle of fresh celantro, salt & pepper, mix well, throw in to the jars with a little water to cover the goods.
Qickly can (just hot enough to pop the lids)
if you cook it for more than a couple of minutes it turns to mush.
the mix is pretty acidic so it keeps for quite some time (although mine doesn't get the chance to stay on the shelf more than a year).

Goes great over the canned deer.
even better when supplied with canned beer.

I have had pickeled peaches out of a 5 year old jar that were pretty tasty.

 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

I can things like beef or venison stew, and spaghetti sauce. I prefer to can completed dishes, rather than separate meats or veggies.

Some of my jars have gone over two years without problems, but not all of them.

I converted over to pressure cooker canning, and no longer have those issues.

Was going to grow and process my own pickles this year, but the early thaw and subsequent ice storm here in Central NY wiped out my cucumbers (Our Daughter was growing them). Will try soon for some pickling cukes at the farmers' market; trying to recreate the NYC Deli Kosher Dill Garlic Pickles that are unobtainium here upstate.

Greg
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

My Lady and I just canned/pickled/jarred/put-up (use whichever is applicable, I'm not sure which one's which) a few dozen quart jars of dill pickles with jalapeno peppers in them. For this, we boiled them in a canner/water bath (canner lid off)

Very awesome.

Same goes for the Dilly-Beans, which are simply pickled beans with cayenne pepper in each jar. Use them instead of celery in Caesar's.

As to the thread though, we are looking forward to getting a few moose, deer, and maybe even elk this fall. Will be 'processing' many jars, for sure. Thanks for this. We'll definitely be pressure-canning these. And yes, canned meat is quite good.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

I us a slider type paper cutter to cut the rolls to length for vacuum bags.
It has a ruler type thing that folds up and you put the bag material under it then fold it down and move the cutter across it.
Works great and are inexpensive at office supply stores.
You can keep it fairly square also. Regards, FM
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Foul Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I us a slider type paper cutter to cut the rolls to length for vacuum bags.
It has a ruler type thing that folds up and you put the bag material under it then fold it down and move the cutter across it.
Works great and are inexpensive at office supply stores.
You can keep it fairly square also. Regards, FM </div></div>

that's a damn good idea.
my wife has all kinds of scrapbook stuff like that.
wonder if she would notice if i snagged her extra cutter.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

Just put it back when you are done and she will never know, or if she is helping you, she will think you are one smart dude.
My Old Squaw came up with the idea so I can't take the credit.
It sure works good and I have no idea as to how many bags it has cut yet still works good.
We cut a bunch of bags to length then seal one end in the sealer and start filling them.
Our sealer is a B&D and does require a bit of cool down time when going on a lot of bags.
I cut them a bit long so I can re-do the end if it doesn't work right the first time.
We lay the packages out on the counter for a while to make sure both ends sealed good before putting them in the freezer.
Used the method on 4 elk with good results. Regards, FM
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

Ok, wife cans and vacuum seals. I can say the vacuum sealer is worth its weight in gold. We have a FoodSaver Professional II that has wrapped 3 steers, 10 pigs, 89 deer, 21 tuna and 100's of chickens. Not to mention breaking down 100's of pounds of flour, sugar and the like.

Fish last a year with no loss of flavor. Beef, well Monday we ate a roast from Dec 2001 (was in the back of the freezer). Roast melted in the mouth. Buy a upright freezer so you don't loose meat for years. Chest freezers suck!

Buy the bulk roll bags and cut to length. The roll is also great for sealing rifles for long term storage or hurricane survival (saw it firsthand Katrina 2005).

Commercial sealers are big enough to do a side of beef. Checkout how restaurants get beef shipped. Just figure your storage space, cost and needs.

Canning and sealing both have down sides. Canning glass breaks, lids fail, freeze and gets old eating the same stuff. Freezers $$$, fail, get stolen, food get lost (buried) and takes up space.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

Thanks to all of you for the comments on this thread! It's been a great learning experience for us.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 303_enfield</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Beef, well Monday we ate a roast from Dec 2001 (was in the back of the freezer). Roast melted in the mouth. </div></div>

Did it melt in your mouth or disintegrate?
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

The All American pressure canner is the one to get, in the size you prefer. I have the one that processes 14 quart jars at a time.

Let me reiterate an earlier point...follow the instructions.

Looking at shelves of food and ammo just give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gimpy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 303_enfield</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Beef, well Monday we ate a roast from Dec 2001 (was in the back of the freezer). Roast melted in the mouth. </div></div>

Did it melt in your mouth or disintegrate? </div></div>

Tasted Fucking AWESOME! No freezer burn or anything wrong with it. As long as the bag is good and the freezer works no problem. Now, I've tried two year old Tuna steaks, eatable but taste better if kept under a year.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

303, What temp do you keep your freezer?
Thanks!
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

303, you're a hoot! I've been vacuum-sealing my meat for about a year now, and have loved how it preserves things. I'll probably never find out how long it keeps meat since I have two growing kids here and a wife with a penchant for throwing stuff away.
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

pottedmeat3.jpg


you just cant beat that potted meat
 
Re: preserving meet > 8months options?

I just got a All American canner. Sure, they are a little pricy, but you get what you pay for.

No seals or gaskets to go bad. Mom has a Presto canner, I vowed to never get one with a gasket on a Sunday afternoon, I forget what she was making, but she made a lot of it. Went to can it and the gasket was bad.... No place open to get a new one.....

For jars, be careful with the ones from Walmart... Some walmarts carry jars made in china. That scares me.... Something my meat is stored in I don't want to come from china. I have also heard numerous reports of the jars not being able to seal properly.

I don't can to much meat. My family keeps a steady rotation going in the freezer. Each spring we get 1/4 cow and 1/2 pig. It all gets vacumes sealed and thrown in the deep freeze.

The chicken, I raise a batch every few months. They get vacume sealed and thrown in the freezer. Chicken doesn't keep very long so we like tod keep that fresher.

For jars I recommend going with large mouth jars. Much easyer to get the meat in and out. And I also prefer the pint jars. For our use it's better portion size. My wife uses the chicken for caseroles and the pint size jars are perfect for a recipie.
 
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